Seven years after their first Vince Lombardi trophy win, the Philadelphia Eagles have returned to the top of the NFL. With an MVP performance from quarterback Jalen Hurts and a dominant defensive display that pressured Patrick Mahomes into one of his worst performances, the Eagles cruised to a 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday night—though the scoreline didn’t quite reflect the one-sided nature of the game.
This 59th Super Bowl marked the second showdown in three years between Philadelphia and Kansas City. The Eagles, still feeling the sting from a heart-pounding 38-35 Chiefs victory in Arizona, where Mahomes’ nearly flawless second half overturned a 10-point deficit, were determined to flip the script. This time, it was all Eagles.
Hurts threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 72 yards and adding a third score on a Tush Push, more than compensating for a stat line that wasn’t as flashy as two years ago. But it was the defense that stole the show. Rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean, on his 22nd birthday, picked off Mahomes for a pick-six, while Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Jalyx Hunt collectively sacked Mahomes six times. This defensive onslaught triggered a first-half avalanche that left the Chiefs playing catch-up, unable to recover even with a quieter day from star running back Saquon Barkley.
“We had a special group this year, we were able to learn from the past,” Hurts said. “Defense wins championships. We saw how [our defense] played today. We saw the difference they made in the game. They gave us opportunities, gave us short fields. And we’re able to do what we do.”
In just over a year since the most chaotic in-season collapse in NFL history, coach Nick Sirianni’s team, built on toughness, relentless rushing, and a ferocious defense, delivered the knockout punch to Kansas City’s quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl win. The Chiefs, looking mentally and physically worn from the start, committed mistake after mistake, unable to contain the Eagles’ onslaught. By halftime, it was clear the game was decided.
“This is the ultimate team game. You can’t be great without the greatness of others. Great performance by everybody – offense, defense, special teams,” Sirianni said. “We didn’t really ever care what anyone thought about how we won, or their opinions. All we want to do is win.”
The Eagles’ gameplan was straightforward: lean on Barkley’s power running, simplify the offense for Hurts, and neutralize Travis Kelce. They executed it to perfection. Barkley, though held to 57 yards on 25 carries, kept the Chiefs’ defense honest. Hurts orchestrated the offense efficiently, and by the time Kelce caught his first pass, the Eagles had a 31-point lead with just three minutes left in the third quarter.
The defensive front, led by Sweat and Hunt, dominated from the first quarter, sacking Mahomes on consecutive plays, while a DeJean pick-six made it 17-0. A second-quarter interception by linebacker Zack Baun, followed by Hurts connecting with AJ Brown for a touchdown, extended the lead to 24-0. The Eagles capped it off with another Hurts touchdown pass, a 46-yard beauty to DeVonta Smith, who became the fifth player ever to win a national championship, Heisman Trophy, and Super Bowl.
The Eagles’ defense, revitalized under Vic Fangio, completely stifled Mahomes and the Chiefs, sacking the quarterback six times. Fangio’s game plan, which mirrored the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ approach in Super Bowl LV, used a constant four-man rush and tight coverage to keep Mahomes off balance.
Despite Mahomes’ usual ability to lead comebacks, this game was too much to overcome. The Chiefs’ opening drive in the second half stalled, and the Eagles responded with a field goal drive that made the game out of reach.
“Today was a rough day all around. Nothing went right. I didn’t coach well. Proud of our guys for fighting. We will learn from this,” said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. “Too many turnovers, too many penalties. Against a good football team, can’t do that.”
By the time Mahomes managed a couple of late touchdowns, the game was already decided, and Eagles fans were celebrating their fifth NFL championship, and second in the Super Bowl era, following victories in 1948, 1949, 1960, and 2017.
